As expected, Saints quarterback Drew Brees has broken one of the oldest records in the NFL.
With 307 passing yards on Monday night, Brees has bested by three yards the single-season passing yardage record set by Dan Marino in 1984.
Brees has 5,087 yards, with one full game to go.
The record caps a wildly successful six-year run for Brees in New Orleans. Brees’ passing yardage from each season ranks in the top 40 of all time. With a Super Bowl win in the books, Brees seems to be destined for Canton.
Brees has two of the three 5,000-plus yard passing seasons in league history. The two-man club likely will be joined on Sunday by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who is 103 yards short of 5,000. Aaron Rodgers of the Packers currently is 357 yards short of 5,000.
In theory, there’s a chance Brees won’t hold the record for long. If Brady has a monster game against the Bills, he could overcome Brees. Currently, Brady is only 190 yards behind.
The Patriots are still playing for the top spot in the AFC playoff field. The Saints likely have little or no shot at improving their position as the No. 3 seed, given that the 49ers play in St. Louis. If the Niners lose and the Saints beat the Panthers, the Saints would finish as the No. 2 seed.
Then again, the Rams beat the Saints in St. Louis earlier this year, so anything is possible. Including Brady throwing for 500 yards on Sunday and Brees throwing for only 300.